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From the monthly archives:

September 2008

An experiment I'd like to see

4 comments
Topics: Uncategorized

by Cameron

Aregular reader directed me to this article on Robert Allenby.

I like Robert Allenby. I think he’s a great player and one of Australia’s most consistent performers. This year he has made 24 cuts out of 25 tournaments and finished the year ranked 19th in the FedEx Cup. All up he has made US$2.8 million. Not a bad year and good work if you can get it.

But (there’s always a but)…

I think he has underachieved so far in his career.

Despite winning tournaments all over the world and being a member of the Presidents Cup team on numerous occasions I think he still has plenty to offer.

He has always been a great ball striker and I don’t think he can get much better at it. It’s hard to improve on perfection if you ask me.

Allenby needs to learn to play. By “play” I’m referring to bringing his A game to the course more of the time. His A game is as good as most and would probably give Tiger a run for his money.

Not sure if it would happen but I’d like to see Robert approach 2009 in the following way;

  • Sack all of his coaches starting immediately.
  • Ignore all technical swing advice from the golf gurus. Seriously, he has been very good for so long now that I doubt they can help him much.
  • Play carefree and without fear.
  • Rediscover a natural putting game. His current putting looks stiff and contrived and seems to hold him back.
  • Practice less. I don’t think he needs to hit so many golf balls. He is not going to lose his swing with less practice and it might just help him regain some enthusiasm for play.
  • If he does feel the need to practice spend that time on the short game.
  • Let go and play the way he really wants to. I think he would do well to forget all of the rules and regulations and play golf in a way that is fun for him.

I don’t expect for a minute for Allenby to do this but I believe it would make an interesting experiment. After 17 years on tour he could do with a break from the usual grind. Making the game more fun and returning to a natural method of play might rejuvenate his career – and just maybe help him do something remarkable, like win a major.

"Why golf is more art than science"

4 comments
Topics: Golf Instruction

by Cameron

I feel qualified to make the above statement.

I have been involved in a major scientific study of the golf swing which led to the development of BioSwing. I’ve also been passionate about natural learning and playing golf instinctively.

Two different paths that have helped shaped my golf career.

But what’s the most important?

Science is good. It helps answer questions and sets things straight. But it can’t be everything.

Too much science leads to too much thinking. This, in my opinion, will never allow you to be the best player you can be. A thinker will invariably;

  • play slowly
  • fuss about
  • worry too much about the score
  • think too much about the swing
  • play well below their best
  • get frustrated
  • become boring

The artists have the advantage. They learn to play first and worry later. This is a gift that has to be learned and can’t be bought. Fancy clubs, lessons and new technology will only help so much. More information (science) just gets in the way.

The hard part is not the stance or swing. It’s learning to be an artist. Thinking less and playing more is scary and goes against most instruction. If you want to play your best golf learn to be an artist.

A golf lesson that needs to be experienced to be appreciated

5 comments
Topics: Short Game

by Cameron

“Drive for show and putt for dough”

I‘m sure you’ve heard this one before. Let me tell you that I think this is perhaps the worst advice in golf. Firstly, driving the ball is important – try shooting a good score if your tee shots keep finishing in the trees. Secondly, putting is not that difficult and you shouldn’t need to speed that much time on it.

Let me explain myself.

Over the last 12 months or so I’ve been noticing a common theme with my clients in respect to their golf game. For the most part they have a good golf swing, they can hit the ball forwards and they enjoy some sort of consistency.

I should add here that most of my clients don’t believe their swings are that good. They seem to remember the bad stuff and have trouble accepting the odd poor shot or two. This is my opinion that their swings are good, not theirs.

Onward.

After some full swing training I almost always do some putting exercises. Again, I’m usually pleasantly surprised at the results. Their strokes are solid and they’re able to follow my advice and execute the challenges that I throw at them successfully. There’s potentially room for improvement but it’s rare to see mental (or technical) flaws that need urgent attention. My main point here? They are good putters.

The glaring golf problem that seems universal

Then the fun starts with the lesson. We move onto chipping.

I don’t know why it is but chipping proficiency is always way below that of their full swing and putting skills. And I don’t mean just a little bit – it’s usually a long way below.

I’ve had 15 handicappers come in complaining about their golf swing. This is funny because they don’t miss a shot for the first 30 minutes and perform exceptionally well. Ask them to chip a ball a few metres and they go to water. They miss the ball, hit 20 centimeters behind it or top the ball severely. I’ve had people miss the net which is only a few metres in front of them. If it wasn’t so serious it would be funny.

The end result is this poor chipping skill can’t allow you to play your best. What’s the answer?

I believe that the first step is NOT to start practicing. No! You need to actually experience this chipping problem to fully appreciate it. Reading about it or thinking about it is not enough – you need to fully experience it with your own body and feelings. Here’s how…

The one golf drill that every golfer must do!

Last weekend I wanted to test this universal chipping problem by using a novice golfer as my test subject. This Guinea pig wasn’t a complete beginner, had good hand and eye coordination and was skilled at other sports. He was the perfect subject.

We started on the practice fairway and hit a small bucket of balls. The results were OK – he didn’t set the world on fire but after twenty minutes was able to hit a series of good shots and was enjoying the experience. He definitely had enough swing skill to get his way around a golf course with some success.

Then to the putting green.

This was potentially an embarrassing moment for me. My test subject was leading our nine hole challenge match after the first four holes and was letting me know all about it. I chose some tricky closing putts and managed to win one up. The moral? A novice golfer can be competitive on the putting green with a scratch golfer. And don’t think my putting is awful – it’s probably the most consistent part of my game.

Thinking he was ready for the US Tour, my test subject was ready for the final test.

Chipping.

This was really funny. After nearly beating me on the putting green his confidence was quickly shattered when he duffed (read: didn’t get the ball onto the green) his first shot. His second shot was a classic overcompensation and it was bladed across the green and into thick ti-tree. To be honest he really struggled with the chipping – even his good shots ran way past the hole and rarely were in comfortable one-putt range.

For a laugh we tried some difficult shots. These included bunker shots, lob shots and pitches from tight lies. The results were more dramatic. While I was able to find a way to get the ball onto the green, and sometimes close, my mate couldn’t. If we were on the golf course or keeping score he would have many more shots than me. Over 18 holes of golf this could be a huge number.

The solution?

This chipping (short game) problem needs urgent action. I’ve been motivated enough to focus my attention on producing a short game manual. There is a definite lack of quality material available on the golf market in this area. Most golf instruction focuses on the full swing and this is a shame. If you want to shoot lower scores you must improve your chipping and other areas of your short game.

The first step is to actually experience how poor chipping affects your score. Find a good short game exponent and have a contest on the chipping green. Hopefully this will motivate you enough to start practising.

Better still, use your free time to work on your short game. Forget about your full swing and your putting, at least for a while, and see if your score improves. I know that the long game is more fun and sinking putts is probably a boost for your confidence, but if you really want to play better golf devote some time to your chipping. If you get really keen you could take this further by working on your bunker play and pitching.

I’m planning a short game book and hopefully it will be something of real quality. I’m planning on having it finished by the end of the year. If you have any suggestions about what you’d like to learn or be added to the manual, drop me a line in the comments section below.

How to cure your golf slice

0 Comments
Topics: Golf Instruction

by Cameron

If there’s one thing I kept getting asked over and over it’s “how do I cure my golf slice?”.

There are many theories and most golf magazines would offer a solution or two in most editions on how to fix a slice. Unfortunately most don’t seem to work and in many cases can exaggerate the fault rather than fix it.

Below is my take on a golf slice and the best method for reducing the severity of this annoying and powerless ball flight.

You need speed

If you want to stop slicing the ball you’re going to need to swing the club with some speed. Swinging with speed helps you overcome many of the problems of slicing the ball. This is the first step. I’m telling you this because many instructors initially like to change your grip – they want to strengthen it and make sure you can see more knuckles or have the V’s pointing at your shoulder.

But this doesn’t work that well.

You see, when you’re trying to grip correctly you rarely can swing that fast. The grip feels uncomfortable and the swing slows down. I see this over and over an still wonder why so many people obsess about the grip.

My opinion is that the grip is a “one percenter” – it’s just not that important if;

  • You choose a comfortable hold on the club
  • You’re able to swing the club at your maximum speed

When you can hold the club in a way that allows you to swing quickly your grip is perfect. Don’t believe me?

Check out the guys on the US PGA Tour – they all have different grip methods. Some grip the club strongly and others weakly. The only thing they have in common is a grip method that allows them to move the club with speed. Very few of them have the so called “classic” or “traditional” grips.

You can spend a lot of time fussing with your golf grip but my advice is don’t waste too much time on it, you have better things to do.

Forget about the club face

A surprising element I see while coaching is golfers getting distracted by the club face.

Let me explain more.

One of my favourite training aids is a club without a club face. The shaft and grip are normal but the club head is perfectly round. This means the golfer can hold the club in any way and swing it. In nearly all cases the golfer will swing this club very well. Their focus is on “swinging” or “hitting” and the results are excellent.

But then something strange happens.

When I give them their own club they become tight and can’t swing in the same powerful manner. They become concerned about the club face and too much attention is on keeping it square during impact.

The result?

The free flowing swing with the faceless club head has been replaced with a careful, slow and somewhat ugly swing. You have to see the difference to believe it but it has happened so many times that it is not a coincidence but something holding many golfers back.

The solution is to swing the club without concern about the club face. It’s for this reason I like using my training club – you can get the same results with any object that isn’t exactly like a golf club – a baseball bat or stick can offer good results. The trick then it to integrate that swing when you use your golf clubs.

Apply energy to the target

This might sound obvious but if you’re not applying power to the target then it’s unlikely the ball will finish there. Golfers who slice the ball almost always are applying power out to the left. The ball starts left of the target and slices (spins) back to the right.

A little left to right is fine but if it gets severe it becomes difficult to control. If your slice is out of control then the following exercise will help.

Throw your club to the target.

Grab an old club and see if you can throw (with a golf type motion) towards the target. Many golfers initially start by throwing the club to the left – but with many anti-slice theories replaced with the objective of “throwing the club straight” this problem is quickly rectified.

Be sure to use old clubs and start slowly. It’s not about throwing clubs far and hard but rather on getting them to travel straight.

When the club travels straight you’re applying power in the right direction. You then can make the same swing without letting go of the club and hopefully you’ll see an improvement with your ball flight.

Swing first – worry later

Ultimately I think the severity of the slice can be mimimised when you can swing first and worry about results later. I am yet to see a golfer that doesn’t have a reliable natural swing – the hard part is to get that swing to the surface.

All of the worry, annalysing and concern makes the game difficult. When you can bite the bullet and swing the club with freedom and lack of fear some good stuff happens;

  • You’ll find extra speed and power
  • You’ll reduce tension and strain
  • More likely to apply power to the target
  • A more natural and consistent golf swing appears
  • You naturally align the club face at impact instead on consciously trying to control it
  • The game becomes easier
  • You’ll have more fun
  • Something remarkable will happen

And most importantly you’ll see less of a slice and an improved ball flight. This doesn’t mean you’ll start drawing the ball and hitting it over 300 metres (you may) but you should see some improvement and extra distance. This is good.

From a coaching point of view any improvement should be seen as a success. You’re able to build on this success and keep improving over time. It’s not a quick fix and takes some commitment but it does offer a whole lot more than the latest edition of your golf magazine.

Let me know your thoughts by submitting a comment below.

My latest training aid “The Anti Slice Machine” can help you adopt these principles and assist you in fixing your slice, hook or shank. Click here for more details.

How to mentally cope with bad golf

1 comment
Topics: Golf Instruction

by Cameron

I played my weekly game of golf yesterday. It was a beautiful spring day in Melbourne, with a light breeze and plenty of sunshine, just perfect for golf. I was joined by some great mates and after a long week of work I was looking forward to the game and I hoped to play well.

Sometimes things just don’t workout though.

Despite following my automatic routine, I three putted the first, third and sixth holes. I’m not sure what was happening but for some reason I couldn’t get the ball into the hole. Making matters worse my swing didn’t feel right. I felt uncoordinated and my confidence was not at an all time high.

What’s the best strategy for overcoming this?

How to deal with a poor round

I’d like to discuss the mental strategies that I now use to cope with the frustration of playing (scoring) badly. This has been one of the hardest lessons I’ve learned and something that I have to continually work at.

No matter what happens I stick to my game plan. It’s easy to give up and change approach when things go sour. Golfers like to change their swing or their mental strategy. This is something I used to do all the time. I would play too aggressively and almost always compound one poor shot by making more mistakes. I’m now better able to resist the urge to change and focus my attention on playing the right shot at the right time.

A good example was on the 9th hole. I almost always play an iron from the tee – it’s a dogleg to the right and it’s nearly impossible for me to get a driver in play. Yesterday I reached for the driver, hoping to fly the trees on the corner, and get near the green. This was a moment of madness that nearly cost me. I snapped out of the aggressive mindset and ended up playing the correct shot from the tee.

Trigger my mind to relax and let go. Instead of trying harder and over thinking I use poor golf as a trigger to free up and let my subconscious take over. I have found that when I really want to play well I can start swinging a little carefully – this is almost always a recipe for disaster. Sometimes by giving myself the freedom to swing and play without fear is all I need to get my game going in the right direction again.

Be myself. I’m not trying to get mystical here only honest. After a bad shot or run of poor luck I need to vent my frustration. Holding things in seems to make matters worse. I need to get angry for a few moments then let things go. I don’t carry the anger or frustration till the next shot, just for a few seconds to release my emotions.

Yesterday’s game was not my best. The putting woes haunted me for most of the day. I three putted (again!) the 11th green and then missed a short birdie putt on 16. The swing started to feel better as the day went on but it never really felt it belonged.

Then something remarkable happened…

I nailed my three wood on 17. It was the best shot I struck all day. My approach finished close for a tap in birdie. Then on 18 I hit another good drive down the middle. Feeling confident after my last approach I made a good swing. The ball sailed dead for the flag and finished only inches from the cup.

After struggling all day I managed to salvage something. I left the course feeling good, despite not playing my best golf.

The most pleasing thing wasn’t that I finished with two birdies. The best thing was that I kept swinging and putting freely, despite feeling a lack of confidence. It’s this skill that enables me to play my best golf more of the time. Instead of worrying and changing my swing throughout the day, which doesn’t work, I’m able to negotiate a difficult round and still finish with a reasonable score.

It’s this ability that I rate more important than having a good golf swing and it just could be the most important skill in golf.

Not long now

0 Comments
Topics: Uncategorized

by Cameron

Just a quick note about The Anti-Slice Machine. If you’ve ordered one and it hasn’t arrived yet it’s not far away. There’s been a delay with one supplier and this has caused a bit of a back log. Hopefully it won’t happen again and I’m doing everything to make sure all orders will be delivered in the next seven days.

I’m sorry for the delay and thank you for your patience. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call.

My number: 0403 372261

Thanks,

Cameron

The best golf photographer

0 Comments
Topics: Articles

by Cameron

davidscalettiI’ve been asked a number of times about the golf photos I’m using on the blog (the ones that appear in the right hand corner of each page). I wish I could say that I took them – not only would it be great to have that talent, but also to have travelled and visited so many fantastic golf courses would be a real pleasure. The talented and lucky person is David Scaletti.

David is renowned as a world class golf photographer. Not only that, he is a great guy with a real passion for playing the game. He didn’t start out as a golf photographer but sort of stumbled into it when he couldn’t find a quality calender of local golf courses. It then didn’t take him long to leave the corporate world and find a niche in the golf market.

David has let me hang some of his works in my golf studio and also publish them on my website. For this I’m thankful. If you’d like to see his full range then I urge you to take a peek at his website.

Below are what David considers his favourite golfing locations. Truly superb and hopefully one day I can see them all in person.*

banff golf course

Banff and the Canadian Rockies

Cabo Del Sol

Cabo Del Sol – Mexico

Dornoch

Royal Dornoch Golf Club – Scotland

The Mid Ocean Club in Bermuda

The Mid Ocean Club in Bermuda

Ria Bintan

Ria Bintan – Indonesia

These web ready images don’t do the photos (or locations) justice, but they give an insight into the kind of work David is capable of. If you’d like to see a full interview with David and more of his wonderful photography head over here. If your golf club needs some quality photos then David Scaletti is your man. Find his contact details on this page.

* I have actually played at Royal Dornoch and it was a fantastic place to visit. Probably the best golf course I’ve seen with some fantastic scenery, including fighter jets!

Momentum versus speed

0 Comments
Topics: Inspirational

by Cameron

Momentum versus Speed:

The temptation is to go after a quick fix. The belief is that instant results will give real satisfaction. But this is rarely the case.

What you want is momentum. Momentum is taking baby steps and improving consistently over a long period of time. Momentum is the classic hare and tortoise race – it might seem like hard work but it offers something more reliable.

Speed is for those in a rush and not knowing where they’re going. Momentum is for those that want something real.

The choice is yours.

Two Cheap (nearly free) Golf Training Aids

September 1, 2008

Two of my favourite golf training aides are simple to use, effective and virtually free. They are; a piece of chalk an old golf club Chalk A piece of chalk is a terrific training aid. When used correctly it can be used to improve chipping, pitching and iron play. Costing about a dollar it could ... Read More

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How to sink those short putts with confidence

September 1, 2008

A little three foot putt isn’t really that difficult. In the big bad world of sport there may not be any skill that is easier – but why do so many of us struggle and better yet, how can we learn to make a short putt with confidence? In a day gone by I would ... Read More

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